Airplane strut ratchet wrench



May 2, 1961 A. F. GOLDEN 7 AIRPLANE STRUT RATCHET WRENCH Filed March 18, 1960 FIG.

FIG. 2.

INVENTOR Arfhur F G'Olden United States Patent Ce 2,982,162 VSTRUT RATCHET Al'flllll F. Golden, 1416 s. McKinley SL, Albany,Ga.

Filed Mar. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 16,031 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-90) This invention relates generally to ratchet wrenches, and more specifically to improvements in wrenches adapted for the application and removal of packing gland nuts.

A packing gland nut is generally formed with an outer peripheral flange having radial slots disposed at diametrically opposite points around the flange. The nut is conventionally tightened or loosened with a key type wrench consisting of a bar formed into a semi-circle which is Patented May 2, 1961 by reference to the following detailed description of a provided with at least one radially inwardly directed lug projecting from one end of the bar and adapted to engage in one of the radial slots formed in the gland nut flange. A lever arm extends outwardly from the side of the bar to provide a means by which a turning moment is applied to the bar when the wrench is engaged in the flange slot. The radius of the bar is substantially equal to that of the peripheral nut flange so that the load applied to the lever arm is transferred through the engaged lug to provide a substantially tangential turning moment to the flange. This type of wrench may be supplied with more than one lever arm so as to enable considerable loads to be applied.

The key type wrench which has been described has not proved satisfactory in service, and has resulted in many injuries due to fracture of the lug or lugs under load. The wrench lugs must be hardened for elfective and continuous service and are therefore prone to sudden fracture if .overloaded or loaded with slight eccentricity.

Such fracture causes the operator to shift violently and lose his balance which may have serious consequencies. It is therefore a primary object of this invention to provide an improved wrench of the key type which cannot be eccentrically loaded and therefore will repeatedly withstand the loading for which it was designed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an improved wrench of the above class which is adapted for ratchet operation enabling operation within confined spaces.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide an improved wrench of the above class which is eflieient in operation and safe in use.

The invention consists of a lever which is threadably received in one half of a hinged split casing. The casing slots formed around the periphery of a nut. A series of ratchet slots are formed around a central portion of the split sleeve for selective engagement by a spring loaded ratchet pawl which is housed in 'a portion of the surrounding casing. V

A full understanding of the details of the invention, together with further advantages, will become apparent preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the attached drawings wherein: a

Fig. l is a plan view of the wrench fully assembled. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of two mating split sleeves which are adapted to close and engage with the peripheral:

surface or flange of a packing gland.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a hinged split casing adapted to rotatably slide on the split sleeves and maintain them in a locked position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View partly in cross section showing the spring loaded ratchet pawl engaging through the split easing into one of a series of peripheral slots formed around the split sleeves.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawing.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the numeral 10 represents a lever arm which threadably engages at one end 11 with a boss 12. The boss 12 projects from the outer surface of a semi-circular casing 13 which forms half of a hinged split casing. The casing has parallel side edges 14 and is provided with hinges 15 at each end which releasably interlock a complementary semi-circular casing 16 by means of pins 17 so as to selectively form a cylindrical tube. A ratchet pawl 18 projects through a hole 19 formed in the casing 13 and is biased to move inwardly of the casing by a spring 20. The outer end of the pawl is joined to a rod 21 which extends through a restricted hole 22 to terminate outwardly of the casing with a knurled button 23.

A split sleeve 24 comprises two semi-circular half sleeves 25 and 26. Each end of the sleeve 24 is provided with radially projecting rings 27 which are adapted to slidably locate against the opposite parallel side edges 14 of the casing halves 13 and 16. A series of radially disposed ratchet slots 28 are formed around and through a central portion of the split sleeve 24 and is adapted to receive the end 29 of the ratchet pawl 18. The two halves 25 and 26 of the sleeve locate with each other by means of suitable pegs 30 which slidably engage within holes 31 formed in the opposite sleeve half. Located at one end of the split sleeve 24 and projecting radially inwardly therefrom are two diametrically opposed lugs 32 which engage within slots formed in a packing sleeve nut such as 33.

In operation, a shaft 34 has a packing gland nut 33 received over one end. The sleeve halves 25 and 26-areassembled together over the shaft 34 such that the lugs 32 engage in diametrically opposite slots which are formed on the nut 33. The casing halves 13 and 16 are assembled over the sleeve so as to locate between the radially projecting rings 27 and are locked in position by inserting the hinge pins 17. The pawl 18 located within the casing 13 will'be urged to project into one of the ratchet slots 28 by the spring 20 thereby locking the sleeve and the casing for rotation in one direction. The tapered side 35 of the pawl end 29 permits the casing to rotate in the direction of this side as is well known in pawl and ratchet operation.

The wrench above described provides a positive locking for safe operation and the split sleeve 24 provides a guide on the shaft 34 which ensures a true tangential loading on the projecting lugs 32. The lugs cannot possibly be forced out of location as is commonly experienced with presently known wrenches of this class.

Having described the invention with considerable particularity, it should be understood that various modifications may be made to the detail thereof, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

2,982,162 v p a I claim:

A ratchet operated wrench for use on gland nuts of fixed dimension and having a circular periphery con taining spaced slots, and comprising, a lever, a split cylindrical casing selectively locked together at each; end by pins engaging through interlocking hinged end portions of the casing, a spring operated ratchet pawl received radially through the casing, a split sleeve; having radially projecting rings extending fromeach and adapted to slideably engage with outer parallel ends of said casing, lugs projecting radially inwardly of one end of said, split sleeve in a diametrical plane with respect thereto, said lugs adapted to selectively engage in the gland nut slots, ratchet slots formed around a central portion of the split sleeve adapted to receive one end of the ratchet pawl, said lever secured at one end within a boss projecting from a central portion of said hinged split casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Halperin Jan. 2, 1951 2,847,888 Paulson Aug. 19, 1958 

